UPDATE 1-Britain may toughen summer travel rules for Spain - The Times

(Adds context, finance minister)

LONDON, Aug 2 (Reuters) - British ministers plan to warn
holidaymakers against visiting destinations such as Spain and
may create a new list of countries at high risk of moving to the
government's quarantine list, The Times newspaper reported.

Britain has one of the fastest vaccination programmes in the
world but the government has effectively prevented travel to
many countries by imposing a maze of different rules that the
travel industry says is hobbling Britain's economy.

Finance Minister Rishi Sunak has written to Prime Minister
Boris Johnson calling for an urgent easing of travel
restrictions which he said were damaging the economy, The Sunday
Times reported.

Under current rules, which will be reviewed on Thursday,
double-vaccinated travellers can return from amber-list
countries without quarantining, but those returning from
red-list countries must pay 1,750 pounds to spend ten days in a
hotel.

An amber watchlist was due to be signed off at a meeting on
Thursday but a split in the government could delay a decision,
The Times said.

Spain would be put on the new list under the plans, a move
that would be likely to cause an exodus of up to 1 million
British tourists who are on holiday there, The Times reported.

A spokesman for Britain's transport ministry declined to
comment. He did not say when the ministry would be commenting.

Matt Warman, a junior minister for digital infrastructure,
said the travel rules provided people with the information to
make informed decisions about travel.
(Reporting by Guy Faulconbridge; Editing by Kate Holton)